So I have been thinking about the songs I love that "define" my life. You know what I mean? The songs that when you hear them take your mind immediately elsewhere and for that 2-5 min or so you have flashbacks and get all nostalgic. Me, reminisce you say? I know that's a stretch...
Here they are and I will explain (probably in boring detail) why these songs define my life (well my life so far)...no particular order here.
Cruel Summer by Bananarama: Who remembers this song being in The Karate Kid? I love this song for so many reasons. It reminds me of the early 80's, which had so much good pop music and damnit, it has a catchy beat. My dad also loves this song and a few years ago I made him a mix cd and everytime we drive over to the lake in the summer he puts it in and this is the first song. This one definitely reminds me of my childhood.
Forever Young by Alphaville: This song kind of breaks my heart sometimes when I listen to it. The whole song, the lyrics, the music, everything is so bittersweet to me. I just remember when it first came out how dreamy it sounded to me. It reminds me of just being a kid and the mundane things you do, like going to dance class, or a sleep over at your friends house. Anyone who knows me, knows how sentimental I am and I think this song is one for the sentimental saps like myself.
I Want It That Way by The Backstreet Boys. Oh go on, snicker to yourself...but you knew a boy band would be in the mix! This song reminds me of summers in Athens, Georgia. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to spend any time in Athens knows how blessed they are, and the summers there are even better! Most of the students have cleared out and you have the town to yourself. You can drive around and just enjoy the city without all the clutter of people and cars. This song reminds me of my good friend Cathy, who worked at Warehouse Music and driving over with Wayne to Alps Road to see her at work.
I don't care who you are, we all love a great pop song and this is one of the best from the late 90's. I know I was excited to see pop music make a return after those dark years of grunge/garage band music. This song for me is the ring leader of that time. Back in the day, when Trent and Jeremiah got me hooked on The Box, spending countless hours at night waiting for someone to buy a video. The Box introduced us to Britney Spears, as 'Hit Me Baby..." was the free bonus video if you bought the video of the week (or something along those lines). This song reminds me of Gil and Mihir standing out in the parking lot of our townhomes at Pineview doing choreography from some video I'd subjected them to numerous times in an attempt to cheer me up. Good memories.
Weather With You by Crowded House: I couldn't wait to get out of high school and get the hell out of Carrollton Georgia. I knew there was more out there waiting for me. When it came time to actually leave, I sort of panicked and felt like I was making a mistake. All my friends, the people I had known my whole life, were staying in town and going to college together, and little lonely ole me was the lone one branching out and going somewhere different. That drive to Athens was horrible. I guess I thought I was giving up everyone I knew and starting over. (I always did have a flare for the dramatics). My parents never encouraged me to go out on my own. I think they would have been content with me never crossing the county line.
Luckily I wised up and discovered you can go forward with your life and still have the people who mean something to you in it, even if it's in a different way.
This song is my traveling song and just a reminder that there are so many places I want to go and things I want to see and that's it's ok to have that desire.
In The Light by DC Talk: I was never really introduced to modern Christian music until I got to high school and went to Impact (a Christian summer camp for the clueless reader). I had not heard of Steven Curtis Chapman or DC Talk, or any popular Christian artist from the early 90's. The theme that first year was "The Great Adventure" and any good SCC fan out there recognizes the title. Needless to say, I put aside any judgements I might have had and embraced the music. I am thankful for the exposure and I find myself still going to these types of songs when I'm having a rough day or when I'm in a good mood and want to be uplifted. This song in particular has stuck with me throughout the years as its message is still something I try to embrace. As I sit here typing this though, all I can think of in my head is "down with the dc talk, d-d-down with the dc talk" and I'm quickly reminded of just how cheesy a majority of Christian music can be...
In a Daydream by The Freddy Jones Band: This song WAS my college experience. Even now when I hear this song I can picture myself in the backseat of FAT247 with about 10 other people driving down Alps. Oh Ashley Hill, how can we ever thank you for bringing this song into our lives? So many good memories...33, Cloverhurst, random road trips in the middle of the night, intramural fields, Spring Break from Hell, going to see the Iron Horse, I could go on and on.
Midnight Train to Georgia (Indigo Girls version): Oh it was hard to choose just one IG song. I could write a book about how any number of Indigo Girls song has touched my life or has said the things I cannot say myself. This song though reminds me of Courtney and me singing along in harmony at our apartment. Courtney and I bonded through our mutual enjoyment of their music. I knew Courtney for a year before I could really say we were friends, as odd as that sounds now in my head. What I love about their music is that it is timeless. No matter what style of music is popular at the time, you can always go back to one of their old cds. Courtney and I have gone to see them so many times, many years along with Bradd and Grant, and several times just the two of us...which was always funny b/c we'd imagine that people thought we were a couple...a few months ago she texted me from Utah and said she and David were at a concert and it was the first time she'd gone to a show without me (and that Dave wished I were there instead of him-not his taste apparently:)).
Everybody's Changing by Keane: Ireland, 2004. Every single day I spent there. This song is me walking to work by the sea, riding on a bus to another city to explore, sitting on my favorite bench in the entire world, going to a pub on any given night with my friends, driving down a county road with my roomate John, it's anything and everything about every moment I experienced there.
On my first day in Dublin, I knew no one, had nothing really to do but walk the city and I went by a record store and went in because it was the only thing that felt familiar to me. They had some listening stations out and various cds available. I sampled every one and this cd blew me out of the water. I had never heard of the group, but just listening to a quick 10 seconds of each song was enough to get me to buy it. I had brought a portable discman with me and so for nearly everyday after, this cd was in it. I listened to it constantly. If you're familiar with the album (Hopes and Fears) you know it's appropriate for walking around Ireland and taking it all in. Ireland was my dream, #1 destination in the world I had to get to, and I was so happy every single moment I was there. This song will always make me smile.
Don't Go There by 24K: Most people would probably scoff at this song on the list, but my friends know why it's here. This song will probably be played at our funerals for the rest to have a quick dance party. Every major event in our lives has included this song. College dances, Amber's wedding, Katie's wedding, Amber's kickass-dance-party birthday, and I'm sure if Lesley or I ever get married we'll have it at ours, and we'll make Chandler play it at his committment ceremony.
**PLEASE click on the link above for this song***
You're My Best Friend by Queen: Welcome to high school. Me and my friends were trilled to make friends with some juniors and seniors because they had cars! It's not difficult to impress a 14 year old girl sometimes. Welcome to band camp. Sorry that this makes you kind of a geek but as a prize you get Steve Taylor. Steve was a junior and in the trombone section with Teresa and Kelly. I should have known in 5th grade to pick a unisex instrumet, not the stupid clarinet which mainly girls play. Steve became our friend and would drive us around in his car. He loved Queen and so we loved Queen. Everytime you got in the car, he had Queen in the tape deck. This song is driving through town singing along and bopping our heads to the beat. We thought we were so cool, especially when Wayne's World came out and Bohemian Rhapsody blew up. We were like-pfft, whatever we liked Queen WAY before that, and turned out nose up at these band-wagon jumpers! *Nerd*
Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears: Yet another 80's song from an 80's movie, Real Genius. The movie only had a cult following, two of which were me and my brother. This song plays as they roll the credits. We LOVED this movie growing up. I still love it and have it on dvd in fact. I think that's why I love the song so much. I love the melody of this song. It makes me giddy. The lyrics seep into my head. 'Welcome to your life, there's no turning back.' It's a coming of age song and even at 7 or 8 I felt like I could relate. My favorite part is the bridge: 'There's a room where the light won't find you holding hands while the walls come tumbling down...' Childhood seems to last forever when you're a kid so I guess that's why I have so many songs from my younger years.
I suppose for shits and giggles I should include this but I don't know that it's technically a song...however it too was played at Amber's wedding.
Ok this was a long one folks and if anyone made it through it, I applaud you!
